9+ Best Laptop For Live Streaming 2021 | Ultimate Guide

Do you have a laptop and are wondering if you can stream twitch with it? In this article, I will explain everything from A to Z.

So, can we stream with a laptop?

Best Laptop For Live Streaming

Streaming with a laptop PC is possible. The minimum config to have for the streamer is an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor or a Ryzen 5 5000 series, with a dedicated graphics card: Nvidia Geforce GTX 3060 (or better) and at least 16 GB of RAM. 

With a good setup, you can stream completely with a laptop PC. However, it is not the best choice if you are new to streaming and I will explain why.

Minimum configuration to stream On a laptop PC

Best Laptop For Live Streaming | Comparison Table 2021

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Best Laptop For Live Streaming | 2021 Reviews

What to have on a laptop to stream in 2021 | Buyer’s Guide

You might not know it, but streaming takes a lot of resources. Therefore you need to have a certain class of components especially if you want to stream AAA games with advanced graphics.

The way I chose these PCs was therefore quite drastic because I didn’t want to make you believe that with a laptop PC at 800 $ you will be able to stream Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p-60fps with full blast.

So here are the criteria I used to select the PCs:

• Minimum 6c / 12t processor, preferably 8c / 16t
• Nvidia graphics card with ray-tracing and NVENC
• 16 GB of RAM Minimum
• 1TB NVMe SSD

The processor must have a minimum of 6 cores and 12 latest generation threads from Intel & AMD for modern games. Developers are increasingly parallelizing games, which means they are getting to use every core available on today’s processors. A processor that does not have enough cores will be greatly penalized in the game. You will thus have a lot of jerks even if the average fps is correct. On top of that, if you stream, the processor will simply be overwhelmed by the load, even with the NVENC.

The Nvidia graphics card is mainly there for the NVENC which is the hardware encoder from Nvidia and which limits FPS losses when you stream. In addition, you will have the possibility of activating ray-tracing which is the technology of the future for games.

The 16 GB of RAM in DDR4 is a minimum. 32 GB would be better, but you can easily upgrade the RAM on all gaming laptops without too much difficulty. So having “only” 16GB is not a problem right away.

The NVMe SSD disk is essential for ease of use but especially for future games which will be based only on SSDs as storage disks. Indeed the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles will have ultra-fast NVMe SSDs which will radically change the way in which developers will code their games. Thus we could see games arriving requiring an NVMe SSD to play. Well, this is all just a guess, but I believe that anyway opting for NVMe is worth the cost.

Why you shouldn’t …

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think you should buy a laptop for streaming. Here are the reasons:

The price

If you’ve looked at my selection, you’ve probably noticed how salty the bill for some of these machines was. This is not surprising in the world of laptops, the price of machines goes up very quickly if you want to have the latest components.

It is for me, the first big break. Indeed, in terms of performance/price ratio, a fixed PC will be much more advantageous. With a fixed PC at 1500 $, you will already have high-end performance, while in my selection it is the minimum for drinking laptops in streaming.

The upgrade

With the tour, you will be able to change the graphics card, RAM processor in short, whatever you want if you are a bit of a handyman. On laptops, upgrades are limited to RAM and SSDs. Important components like the CPU and GPU are soldered to the PCBs on the motherboard (most often). It is therefore impossible to gain in performance over time.

Screen size

Laptops have 15 ″, 17 ″, etc. screens, this is sufficient for playing on the go in a hotel room, but for streaming, you will quickly feel stuck by the lack of available screens. When it comes to managing the game, OBS, and the return of the stream having a big screen (27 ″) is almost a must. Quite quickly you will therefore have to take a PC screen, and from there, your laptop PC will stick most of the time on your desk …

Noise and heat

Of all the gaming laptops I’ve had none of them have been quiet in-game …

At the same time manufacturers cannot circumvent the laws of physics and therefore to properly cool the components they are forced to run small fans very quickly which generates noise.

Moreover, even with these fans, the components will reach much higher temperatures than in a well-made stationary PC. However, the lower the temperature of silicon chips, the better they are. In terms of longevity, a gaming laptop is not as good as a desktop PC precisely because of these high temperatures.

These are the reasons that push me not to buy a laptop PC to stream. However, there are cases where buying a laptop PC to stream may make sense …

Case in point was buying a laptop PC to stream makes sense

You are hypermobile

If you know that you are going to be very mobile for the next few years of your life for example if you are a student or an expatriate then taking a laptop PC to stream may be justified. As a student, you will need a laptop PC for your course anyway, so having an all-in-one machine is a practical solution. In addition, if you have internships or semesters abroad your laptop can follow you everywhere. The thing is, you really have to need mobility.

You lack space at home

A desktop PC takes up space! However, not everyone has the space at home to set up an office with a screen and a tower. A laptop PC can then be a solution that lacks vital space.

You already have a good desktop PC

If you already have a good desktop PC setup and would like to have a PC powerful enough to accompany you on the go. So I have absolutely no objection to buying a laptop PC for streaming.

Why You Shouldn’t Take a Laptop To Stream

It is time to move on to the angry topic.

I sincerely advise you not to buy a laptop PC to stream. Although technically possible, these machines suffer from a significant performance deficit compared to their desktop counterparts.
It’s simple, everything is revised downwards, and the price is revised upwards.

So, you are going to spend quite a bit of money to have overall lower performance and experience.

It is especially at the level of processors where laptops are disadvantaged.

Faced with a Desktop equivalent, mobile processors are forced to keep a reasonable thermal envelope. The frequencies are therefore revised downwards to the detriment of performance.

That said, laptops have really evolved a lot in recent years, and the performance difference between desktop PCs has narrowed quite a bit, especially when it comes to graphics cards.

Finally, with a portable PC, you will not be able to upgrade your config, apart from putting in a little more RAM and better storage. Forget about upgrading your graphics card or processor in the future …

The other concern is the screen.

On a laptop PC the screen will break 17 ”, but for streaming in good condition having two good screens is almost essential.

But you can overcome this problem by buying another screen, but even if it means having a screen as much connected to a stationary PC, right?

Conclusion

I have had quite a few portable gaming PCs over the past few years. And I have to say that my experience with these machines is quite mixed. Those were the days when high-end graphics cards were just watered-down versions of midrange desktop cards.

In general, after 2 years these machines broke down and the performance was no longer really up to par.

Today things have changed a lot. The performance difference between mobile and desktop graphics cards has narrowed and mobile processors are no longer on the market (especially on the AMD side) compared to their desktop counterparts.

And so buying a laptop PC in 2021 is far from bad. The performances are there, only the prices remain too high in my opinion.